Saturday, September 9, 1995
NEWS
Craig Flournoy Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
Dozens of people rallied Friday against a Dallas judge's decision to allow a Christian couple to adopt two Muslim children.
"We want the children returned to their parents, and we want Judge Hal Gaither to apologize to the Muslim community," said Thomas Muhammad, one of the protest organizers.
The state district judge was out of town Friday. But in an interview earlier this week he said he would not apologize "until hell freezes over."
"It has nothing to do with it being a Christian home," Judge Gaither said, "and if they don't like it they can stick it."
At issue is whether Sadri and Sabhete Krasniqi should regain custody of their 16-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter more than five years after losing custody. Judge Gaither has indicated that he does not consider that to be in the children's best interest.
Mr. Krasniqi was arrested in August 1989 on suspicion of molesting his daughter, then 4, in the bleachers during a karate competition at a Plano high school. He was acquitted in February 1994.
However, Judge Gaither terminated the parents' rights to their two children in April 1990. Then, in October 1994, he approved their adoption by a family that is now raising them as Christians.
The case attracted national interest after ABC television's 20/20 broadcast of the story.
On Friday, more than three dozen people gathered outside the new Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center and protested the judge's decisions. Many carried placards. One, held by Ms. Krasniqi, said, "Wake up and smell the injustice."
As they waved their placards, demonstrators chanted, "Hey-hey, ho-ho, Judge Gaither needs to go."
Mr. Muhammad, a spokesman for the Dallas Muslim Council, said Muslims were outraged by Judge Gaither's comments on ABC, particularly those regarding the children.
"He has gone beyond his role as a judge," Mr. Muhammad said. "His comments were outrageous. He will wish he had never heard of the Muslim community."
Judge Gaither responded, "I absolutely did not say they would be better off with a Christian family. I said that five years of stability and bonding with another family was what was important to these kids."
Kal Hamideh, an attorney for the Krasniqis, said he did not know how long the children had lived with the new family.
He said Judge Gaither has denied a request for a rehearing. But he said the couple will continue to press for another hearing in light of what Mr. Hamideh called important new evidence, including the fact that two doctors who examined the girl found no evidence of sexual abuse.
Protesters planned another demonstration Saturday at the Dallas office of Texas Child Protective Services, which initially obtained custody of the children.
The demonstrations will not stop, they said, until Judge Gaither agrees to rehear the case.
Staff writer Sherry Jacobson contributed to this report.
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PHOTO(S): (The Dallas Morning News: David Leeson) Ghulaum Warriach, president of the Dallas Muslim Council, leads a demonstration Friday against Judge Hal Gaither outside the new Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center. ; PHOTO LOCATION: Digital: Disk 78a, cf 83599.
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